When people talk about New Zealand, you will probably hear wonderful things about the natural beauty that the country has to offer. The endless surreal scenery is just too grandiose to put into words. But what truly inspired us during this trip were definitely the people destiny put into our lives. We will probably get all emotional talking about these people but truly; we really want to be better human beings because of the time we shared together. After a tiring road trip through the South Island, we decided to try Couchsurfing in Christchurch for 2 reasons: 1) We were really longing some time with friends, and 2) It was impossible to find a decent budget accommodation. Sometimes we question why such inspiring people come to our lives, it is as if somebody is sending us a constant reminder how humbly and thankful we should be living our lives.

Chris and Glen was a couple who opened their hearts to us when we really needed a place to call home. And it was more than a home during the days we spent at their house; it was truly a time of reflection and reminder of the reason why we decided to travel the world in the first place. The time was short, but definitely they are people who will forever be on a warm side of our hearts.

The hardest thing about traveling is when you have say goodbye to the people who became your family, friend. It is also a challenge, leaving the familiar and heading out to explore the unknown is exciting and at the same time scary. We closed our eyes and headed north, with an address and name of a person given by our friends back home in Mexico.

After unknown hours of travel by bus and boat we finally reached Auckland (just so you know New Zealand might seem small on the map but it is very long!). Some might think traveling is easy, but when you are on a longer term there is definitely some challenges; and trust us it is not sipping margaritas by the pool all the time. First you need to adjust to the new place, orienting yourself to become familiar with the streets, then you have to find a place that fits your budget to stay, finding that perfect local spot to eat where the food is cheap, good and abundant is probably one of the hardest things in life!

In Auckland we were to meet with some strangers who gracefully offered us a place to stay. Have you ever had that strange feeling when you feel so connected to somebody but you never actually met them, but you know when you meet it will be beyond epic? As if your story has already been written? Yeap, that happened to us. It took us 30 years to finally meet, but it felt right, Raul and Luzette finally were part of lives. Luzette is an extremely talented artist, and her work instantly inspired us. But more than that she is an exceptional human and together with Raul they form an incredible energy that it is impossible to not be inspired. We spent a week, sharing stories and food (lots of food! Don’t mistake this with a food blog; we are wedding photographers!). Definitely one of the highlights was the time we spent cooking everyday and sitting together at dining table talking and sharing our dreams. We are definitely heading into same direction and it feels wonderful to know you have incredible people who you can share your dreams with. No words, just incredibly blessed and thankful.

The world is small, we hear it all the time, but what we didn’t know it was that small. One of the main reasons why we wanted to visit Auckland was to finally meet two photographers who have been a true inspiration for us: Stephan and Nakita! So couple of months before our travel we wrote a fan letter to these two. And for our surprise they said they wanted to meet us! Then we died! But really, meeting the people who are behind the art that inspires you as a creative is probably one of the most amazing things! It is just like meeting a rock-star, except you truly become connected with them and become friends. Yes amazing! Well back to “the world is small”, what we didn’t know is that Raul and Stephan play baseball on the same neighborhood league (sorry if this was not exciting enough!)! It was as if they were all waiting for us, home for us.